TV Licence Warning to North Yorkshire Holidaymakers

As thousands of people from York and surrounding areas are about to flock to their favourite UK holiday hotspots over the summer break, TV Licensing is reminding people to check they are correctly licensed.

And with the school holidays and factory fortnight just around the corner, owners of static caravans are being prompted to remember they might require a valid TV licence for their holiday accommodation.

Owners of static vans or mobile homes need a licence for the caravan if a TV is being used to receive or record programmes in the caravan and at their main home address at the same time.

Matt Thompson, spokesperson for TV Licensing said it was important people from York understood the licensing requirements if they planned to watch TV in their holiday homes.

“The law says that anyone who owns a static caravan or mobile home, and watches or records TV here, is not covered by their home licence if TV is simultaneously being viewed by someone else in their main residence. In this case, a separate licence is needed to cover the holiday accommodation.”

No licence is needed for a touring caravan so long as a valid TV Licence is held for the main home address. A TV Licence can be bought in minutes online and costs £145.50 for the year. There are many ways to pay including weekly, monthly and quarterly payments.

Thompson added that anyone who owned a holiday home which was a permanent structure, such as a cottage or flat or bungalow, also needed to be aware they must be covered by a valid TV licence for their second home.

Carole Metcalfe, marketing director of the Static Caravan Club, said: “Taking a minute to check the requirements before you head off could be time well spent. It’s very important that people understand the law and make sure they’re covered if they need to be. If people aren’t sure about the requirements, a quick call to TV Licensing will help ensure they stay on the right side of the law.”